In and Around the Museum

We recently announced plans for a special display honoring the Texas Wends who served in World War I. It was no small feat, but the display was completed in time for Wendish Fest. Included with the items on display are a uniform, helmet and gas mask that belonged to Herman T. Krause, and which are on loan from the Krause family. Magdalene Harris and Florence Wright, daughters of Herman T. Krause, attended Wendish Fest to see the display of their father’s military items.

Gratitude is extended to Magdalene Harris and the Krause family for the loan and for providing the following information about Herman.

Herman Theodore Krause, son of Matthaus Krause and Magdalena Schurk, was born May 19, 1896 in Serbin. His grandparents, Christoph Krause and Maria Michalk, immigrated to Texas with a small group of Wends in 1853. Herman was baptized and confirmed by Rev. H.T. Kilian at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Serbin, where he also attended school. He continued his studies at Concordia Preparatory School in Concordia, Missouri for four years, after which he entered Concordia Theological School in Fort Wayne, Indiana with plans to enter the ministry. His studies at Fort Wayne were interrupted two and one-half years later when he was inducted into the Army on February 24, 1918 at Giddings, Texas, just three months shy of his 22nd birthday.

Herman served overseas in France with Company B, 22nd Engineers, from June 30, 1918 to July 10, 1919. During his time in the Army, he fought from damp, soggy trenches on the battlefield where he was provided a gas mask for protection. In the second half of his enlistment, he was assigned to restoring areas where battles had taken place, such as repairing roads and railroads. Herman was honorably discharged on demobilization from the Army on July 25, 1919, having been promoted to the rank of Sergeant in the one and one-half years he served our country.

Following the war, Herman returned to Serbin where he married Clara M. Blasig in 1924. Herman and Clara had one son while living in Serbin, after which the family moved to McAllen, Texas in the Rio Grande Valley. Ten more children were subsequently added to the family. Herman and Clara, with help from their 11 children, owned and operated a cotton, produce and citrus farm. Herman lived out the remainder of his life in McAllen, where he died on January 12, 1971.

We will continue to hunt for and collect information and stories about our Wendish-Texan veterans of World War I. If you have stories or photos and have not already sent copies to the museum, please consider doing so!